


Hob With The Nobs

by SullivanGirl1



Category: Father Brown (2013)
Genre: Attempted Drugging, Gen, Protective Felicia Montague, Protective Sid Carter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24236233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SullivanGirl1/pseuds/SullivanGirl1
Summary: Sid gets the unenviable task of filling in when Lady Felicia’s butler takes ill.He expects it to be an evening of watching a bunch of snobs getting drunk and Sullivan smirking at him while everybody else ignores him until they want something.He’s only half right and it turns out to be just as well he was there.
Relationships: Inspector Sullivan & Everyone
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	Hob With The Nobs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kittblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittblue/gifts).



Sometimes, Sid thought, as decent as Lady F was, she couldn’t half take the piss.

He stood against the wall by the door, trying not to reach up and tug at the collar of the suit he wore, feeling tight and out of place in the butler’s attire.

Trust old Hodgkin to pick tonight to come down with the trots and trust him to be unlucky enough to be within earshot when his boss came up with the idea of who to have stand in.

Not that he didn’t know the basics - it wasn’t hard - but driving Lady F around was different than standing there like a brass ornament until the Right Dishonourable Blah Blah Blah wanted another whiskey or someone to light his cigar.

Oh, and Sullivan was there too, and every now and again he’d catch the Inspector smirking at him. It was going to be a long bloody night.

The only good thing was that from where he stood he could see the whole room and everybody in it. Not that watching the nobs was much fun, but every now and again a piece of conversation would drift over to him and he’d once got a grand tip on the races from just paying attention.

So he tended to keep ears, and eyes, open and that was how he noticed what happened to Sullivan’s drink.

Everybody knew about Lord Eccles, or so Sid thought; the only reason he got invited to any of Lady Felicia’s get togethers was because of his standing in the House of Lords. That and his nasty habit of just turning up if he got wind of a do and it being easier to ask him in the first place instead of cause a scene.

But Sullivan had not been long enough in Kembleford to have attended more than a couple of Felicia’s soirées and as Eccles hadn’t been in the country for those, their paths hadn’t yet crossed.

To be honest, Sid hadn’t paid it too much thought. Usually, there were few men young enough at these things to catch Eccles’ eye (and the one time Eccles had cheekily requested Sid drive him home, Lady F had sent him home for the night and phoned the man a taxi).

Even knowing Sullivan would for once be at the same evening as the wicked old bugger hadn’t given Sullivan pause.

After all, Sullivan was a policeman, and an inspector to boot; if anybody should have been safe, it was him.

And yet there was Eccles, pointing out something in the grounds, and with a practiced ease dropping something into Sullivan’s drink the moment the inspector looked away.

Sullivan turned back, a forced smile; Carter could tell the copper had a feeling about Eccles - for all he thought Sullivan was a bit of a fool for not listening more to Father Brown, he wasn’t completely rubbish - or maybe he was just bored of being stuck with the old man for company most of the night because Eccles had insisted they sit together at dinner and hadn’t left Sullivan alone for a moment since.

And Sid suddenly saw red. Here, in Lady F’s house, he’d just tried to drug Sullivan. 

He felt his cheeks redden with temper as he imagined what Eccles would want with a drugged younger man, and then he was crossing the room, slipping between lords and ladies, actors and philanthropists and Sullivan was putting the glass to his lips…

Sid stumbled, nudging the inspector hard, and the contents of his glass went all over Eccles and his fancy suit.

He spluttered indignantly and Sullivan looked horrified at the faux pas and quickly grabbed his handkerchief before proffering it to the other man.

He took it with a forced graciousness and Sid found himself on the receiving end of a scowl from the inspector but maybe Sullivan saw something on Sid’s face that caused his glare to weaken.

“Oh, I do hope that won’t stain,” Felicia said, and there was a tone to her voice that said she didn’t give a stuff if it did or didn’t.

Which meant either she’d seen what Sid had (and since she seemed to have been on his heels that was likely) or since she knew Sid was the least clumsy person in the whole bloody town, that his actions had been deliberate which meant he’d been clumsy with a good reason.

Eccles wasn’t the least placated but he faked humour. “Well, if it does I’ll simply have your man here wash them for me. While I observe of course; can’t have him ruining them through rough handling.”

He laughed. Neither Sullivan, Sid, or Lady F joined in, and Sid returned to his place by the wall even if he did keep a closer eye on Sullivan after that.

But Lady F seemed to have that in hand; she made it a point of introducing a professor of law and very soon he and the inspector were busy discussing the failings of the penal system. Eccles tried to insert himself into the conversation in an attempt to hold Sullivan’s attention but it was a lost cause and he eventually claimed a headache and had Sid fetch his coat.

As he was leaving, Sid noticed Lady F follow him out, and he went after, keeping far enough back to go unnoticed, but close enough that he could step in if there was any funny business.

He didn’t know what Felicia was saying but Eccles was furious and then Felicia turned on her heel and left him staring after her.

Sid grinned as she approached. “What’s you say to him, eh?”

She tutted him. “Spying is beneath you, Sid.” Then she grinned. “I pointed out that we look after our own and he better never try that in my house again.”

He frowned. “What if he decides to have another go _not_ in the house?” Eccles wasn’t exactly local, but when someone had his interest he could make a proper pest of himself as Sid knew from experience.

“Mmmm. If we tell the inspector directly, he’ll probably try to arrest him. I imagine that would sink his career without a trace and probably be of no good. I’ll think of something.”

Sid opened the door for her and followed her in before taking up his place as before.

The next time he caught Sullivan looking at him, the inspector wasn’t smirking. He looked as serious as if he was about to clap the cuffs on him then and there, but he gave Sid a sharp nod and went back to debating with his new sparring partner.

Sid felt a smile twitch his lips. He doubted Sullivan owing him would get him any favours the next time he brushed the inspector up the wrong way, but that suited him. Couldn’t have people thinking he was cosy with a copper; he had a reputation to protect.

But he did join in turning up at odd moments in Sullivan’s life over the next week, along with Father Brown, and Mrs M and Lady Felicia - only when he was off duty or out alone during the day (they didn’t have to worry about the station; Lord or not, Goodfellow would pick Eccles up by the scruff and boot him out the door if tried anything there) - and it was just as well, as Eccles turned up another three times until he finally realised he’d been foiled.

Maybe that wouldn’t be the last they’d hear of it, Eccles never being one for turning the other cheek, but they’d deal with that if it happened.

Like Lady F had said, they took care of their own.


End file.
